AirTran seat assignment question

[mantysk8coach]

I know you can choose your seats in advance for $6 each, but what happens if you buy the ticket, but DON'T do the advance seating. When you check in at the airport do you just get whatever's left?

 

[WeLuvTink!]

Doing what you suggest is a gamble, but I've done it without problems in the past and still gotten 2-4 seats all together. I would recommend you do online checking at the 24-hour mark. Airtran will assign you seats at that time, but you can pick different seats from whatever isn't firmly assigned yet. Works for me everytime - just do it at the 24-hour mark if you can.

 

[kevgraub]

I know you can choose your seats in advance for $6 each, but what happens if you buy the ticket, but DON'T do the advance seating. When you check in at the airport do you just get whatever's left?

You can check in at the 24 hour mark online and you will have assigned seats. However, you can change them for free at that time and pick any that are open. Otherwise, yes, I think you basically just get what is left.

 

[Missytara]

Go through a site like kayak.com, which will direct you to the Airtran site and you won't pay the seat fee, unless you request an exit aisle.

 

[SSWiand]

Last year, my family arrived at the AirTran check-in a the Philadelphia Airport; as we attempted to check-in we were notified that we should have made a seat reservation and the WDTC never gave us that hint.

We were told that there were no seats other than emergency exit rows available on our scheduled flight and that we would have to wait for the next flight...if seats were available.

We were told our options were to pay $69/pp to upgrade to business or try our luck on the next flight.

Since we were traveling with our little ones at (a 3 year old and a 9 month old at the time). We elected the upgrade so we did not have to sit in the airport for another two and a half hours!!

Needless to say, when we booked our flight this year we made our seat assignments together as soon as we received our flight confirmation number from WDTC.

You can certainly take the risk of flying without reservations; however, you run the risk of being seated apart from your traveling party or missing your flight.

I would make the reservation and save the headache on the morning of your flight.

Have a great trip!!

 

[Brer Chump]

We were told that there were no seats other than emergency exit rows available on our scheduled flight and that we would have to wait for the next flight...if seats were available.

That sounds like an involuntary denied boarding. Just because you don't assign yourself a seat doesn't equate to flying standby. You should have been upgraded for free otherwise you would have received compensation, as long as you met the minimum check-in time limit.

 

[SSWiand]

That sounds like an involuntary denied boarding. Just because you don't assign yourself a seat doesn't equate to flying standby. You should have been upgraded for free otherwise you would have received compensation, as long as you met the minimum check-in time limit.

We were given gate passes which contained no seat numbers at check-in and told to speak to the gate agent when we got there.

There were 15 other people already on the standby list so we could have easily missed the flight. At that point I was just so anxious to get my family on the plane so that we could start our vacation rather than waste two and a half hours at the airport.

I certainly was not happy and I did complain after the vacation; however, I was given the seat reservation excuse and that it was not their fault that we were traveling with children and could not sit in an emergency exit row.

And yes, we were at the airport early, we arrived 2 hours and 15 mins. before departure. There was no reason that we could not have gotten a seat unless all 150 odd passengers had made reservations before arriving at the airport.

I certainly have used this as a learning experience. I though I was an experienced traveler until this experience--having traveled (and flown) several times a year for the past few years--I guess you are never too experienced to learn a few new tricks.

 

[tkldisney]

Go through a site like kayak.com, which will direct you to the Airtran site and you won't pay the seat fee, unless you request an exit aisle.

If you haven't booked already, this is the best way to book. Which you are actually booking on Airtran, just use the link on kayak.

 

[SSWiand]

If you haven't booked already, this is the best way to book. Which you are actually booking on Airtran, just use the link on kayak.

Sounds good if it is true that you do not need to pay a seat reservation when booking through Airtran.com!!

Just remember if you are already booked be aware if the possibilities of failing to book a seat reservation!!

 

[buzz5985]

I was reluctant to book AirTran, because when I clicked on the little airlineseat showing availability - there were no 4 seats together for a flight in November. What do you do in that situation?? Do you pay in order to get any seat? Or do you pay and more seats show up?? I'm confused. I can see why people wouldn't pay for seats if no seats are showing up together.

Janis

 

[RMulieri]

I was reluctant to book AirTran, because when I clicked on the little airlineseat showing availability - there were no 4 seats together for a flight in November. What do you do in that situation?? Do you pay in order to get any seat? Or do you pay and more seats show up?? I'm confused. I can see why people wouldn't pay for seats if no seats are showing up together.

Janis

Not sure. We paid for our seats because we are travelling with a small child and wanted to sit together, we had lots to choose from though. I wouldn't bank on being able to chg seats or sit together though if it is showing hardly any availibility. Airtran will not make people move to accomodate families...hence the seat fee.